When she came home that evening, Hermione found her clothes shed all over the living room, just as she had left them in her hurry the same morning. As she walked in, she noticed that Crookshanks had settled on her blouse and was clawing his way through some parchment. It was the letter that had woken her up many hours earlier. She lured the cat away with a strand of catnip and retrieved the paper that she had not even read yet.

Morning my little matchmaker,

Luna just left for her morning walk.

She liked her drawer a lot.

She's planning on painting it purple later.

Thanks again,

Love,

Gin.

Hermione grinned at the parchment, rather proud of herself. Communication really was key. Which was why she needed to talk to Anselma about their methods. When they were starting to plan their clinic, they never thought of how the session might affect them as therapists. Their research had been entirely focused on the patients. She needed to fix this before she saw Joy and Nathan again on Tuesday. Before she went to bed, Hermione therefore owled her tutor and proposed they met in a cafe on Diagon Alley over the weekend.

It was even hotter on Sunday than it has been on Friday. Luckily, Hermione had found one of the last shaded spots at Florean Fortescue's; otherwise, Anselma and she would have ended up with mean sunburns. This weather really was not suitable for bookworms such as themselves.

"So, what matter was important enough to have us meet on a Sunday?" Anselma started as she dipped into her chocolate-mint ice cream.

"You know how we never spoke about the way therapy could affect us?" Hermione started while nervously stirring her straw around in her strawberry milkshake "I'm afraid that we should have."

"Is there really a story on Earth that could shock a witch that has been through as much as you have?" Anselma sceptically asked.

"Well, there probably is ... Statistically speaking, there are great chances that I haven't seen everything the world could ... Yes, I know, it was only a figure of speech. What I meant to talk about was attachment. These people are very vulnerable around us; I can't help empathizing with them."

"Please don't tell me that you have been dazzled by that young Auror. I thought Miss Black was keener to your eyes." Anselma inquired, cocking an intrigued eyebrow at her.

Hermione could not help blushing a little as Anselma mentioned her previous encounter with Narcissa. She did make quite the fool of herself.

"Actually, I am not crossing any options out, though I do tend to look at women more often ... But I didn't mean it in that way either. It's just ... Nathan's trauma reminds me of what I experienced during the War and Joy's fears echo with mine. I'm just afraid that I will not be able to put enough boundaries between us."

"So, you came to me about this because I am so good at keeping people at bay?"

"No ... Well, yes, but not in a bad way! You know that I have always admired how professional you act, especially when people are being disrespectful. I just know that I still have a lot to learn on this topic, and I believe that you could give me some pointers."

"Alright, alright, you don't need to get all star-pupil on me. First pointer: I would advise you not to call your patients by their first name. It forces some distance between you and them. I do realise that it is already too late for your first two patients; but you should do that from now on."

"Noted. What else?"

"The basics: don't see them outside the clinic. Not for coffee, not for drinks, not for dinner; not ever. Never talk about yourself. The discussion should always focus on them. And last, but not least, if you ever feel that you are too growing too attached to a patient, you tell me."

Hermione nodded fervently and quickly scribbled Anselma's pointers onto her pocket notebook. Now that she heard it out loud, it mostly sounded like common sense. Yet she had already told Joy that she was a Gryffindor and she had thought about it – before refusing – when Nathan had proposed they went out for drinks someday. She really had to be more careful if she wanted this experience to work out.

"While we are at it; I will be out of town the first two weeks of September. I will tell Miss Black about it, as well as any other patient I might have until then. I will offer each of them to have their sessions with you while I am away, if they want to. Do you think that you could handle it?"

"I ... Of course, I should be able to. Am I not coming with you, though?" Hermione wondered.

"It is a personal matter. I would obviously have taken you with me if it were professional."

"Obviously"

Monday passed by as usual, in the rush that only the start of a new week could provide. The only solace Hermione found that day was when Harry popped in to invite her for lunch. He would be leaving for another mission soon and wanted to be sure that Nathan had found to her. He seemed a little tenser than usual, but Hermione did not want to poke around if he was not mentioning it himself. She had learned a lot from their teenage years. He did mention their night out though, half-jokingly alluding to Ron's mysterious comment about Ginny. Hermione had to bite her tongue quite hard, but she managed keeping Ginny's secret for herself.

By the time Tuesday was over, Hermione already needed another weekend. Nathan had brought a travel-sized pensieve and had insisted that she visited some of his memories with him, for he was not able to voice them. They had stood there, in some dodgy cellar, for what seemed like hours, while a group of adult wizards were raping a young Muggle girl, only to torture her more afterwards, and ultimately kill her. The memory ended with Nathan hunched up over the girl's body, crying and apologizing to her once everyone had left.

"I don't want to got back" Nathan said after a moment, when they had left the pensieve.

"You don't have to."

"But what about my training? I spent years preparing for this. And what about the Ministry? They have high hopes for me!"

"You are the one who has to wake up and go to bed every day with these memories in you head, Nathan. You cannot disregard your own sanity. The least it will do, is to keep you from doing your job properly. If these people sense your reluctance, who knows what they will do to you?"

Nathan was forced to agree with her, but his time was flying away. He had only three weeks left before he was meant to go back. The neo-purists thought that he was currently infiltrating the Ministry for them. The longer he waited, the harder it would be for his department to find a replacement for him. Hermione could not help wishing that she were allowed to hug him. That tall, broad-shouldered, wizard seemed so small all at once.

Joy's session went better than Nathan's, but Hermione was already so tired by then that she had trouble focusing on everything he was saying. She only came out of her reflective trance when Joy addressed her directly:

"Professor McGonagall would be cool with it though, right?"

"I am sure she would" Hermione agreed, not knowing what she was agreeing to.

"The only people who might be cruel about it, are my classmates. Especially the Gryffindors – no offense. A lot of them keep mistaking me for a boy anyways. Well, they are not mistaken, but it would help if I could actually live in a boy's dorm and use their changing room. But to do that I would need to have my transfiguration first ..."

"Which we agreed that you could not do before you turned 17" Hermione reminded him, now catching up with him.

"Yeah, I know ... Good thing that's only a couple months away now. It must be expensive though. How am I supposed to pay for it? My parents surely won't."

Hermione straightened herself on her seat to wake herself up and she tried to smile at Joy to lighten his mood.

"I have good news on that topic. I am currently discussing medical transfiguration with St Mungo's and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. If everything goes the way it should, by the time you have turned of age, the Ministry will be paying for such procedures."

"As in I wouldn't have to pay a single galleon?"

"That is the spirit indeed."

"That's awesome!"

For the first time since the clinic had opened, Hermione was glad that she would not need to come back for two more days. Never before had she realised how safe her Ministry office was. No unexpected visitors, no haunting stories, no difficult confessions. It was only her, Anselma's tranquillity and wisdom, and their work. She even found the time to read Bethany's latest article on the utility of Muggle technology for the Wizarding World.

By the time Friday dawned upon her, she had retrieved enough energy to meet her patients. None of it would have been too much indeed, for when she arrived at the clinic – much earlier than last week – half a dozen owls were already waiting for her on the breakroom window seat. Most letters came from witches and wizards who had been through a lot during the War and needed means to cope with their trauma. Many lost sleep and appetite, lost touch with their family and friends; lost touch with themselves even. Hermione took care of writing a short note for Anselma before she met Nathan, describing each case in a couple of words and indicating which ones she would prefer working on.

She was about to gain her office, her coffee mug in one hand, when the elevator doors opened on Narcissa Black. It had been raining for the past couple of days and the temperatures had dropped drastically, yet Narcissa was still wearing a very light and strappy sundress. Today's choice was olive green, with short ruffled sleeves and a deep-cut back that showed all of the blonde's muscles.

"Good morning Miss Black. I am afraid Dc. Bones has not arrived yet. Could I fetch you something? A cup of tea maybe?" Hermione offered, trying to sound casual.

Narcissa looked up at her with a vaguely surprised expression, as though she had not noticed her before she spoke. She detailed Hermione accoutre for a second – Muggle jeans, a white shirt with blue flowers on it, a navy blazer, and white sneakers – and then shook her head dismissively.

"I am fine, thank you. Is there a waiting room I can sit in until Dc. Bones arrives?"

Hermione was a bit unsettled by Narcissa's attitude. It almost seemed like she did not remember her at all. Which could not be. After all, she had seen Hermione more than once at Hogwarts and outside of it. Merlin, she had even been there when the Snatchers caught them, and Bellatrix tortured her. Their paths had crossed many times at Ministry events over the past years. Yet Narcissa kept treating her like a complete stranger.

"Of course, the last door on your left, at the far end of the corridor. You will find some magazines and beverages there, if you like." Hermione answered courteously.

Narcissa only nodded, turned on her heels, and walked down the corridor.

"It wouldn't kill her to smile …" Hermione mumbled to herself.

"I beg your pardon?" Narcissa suddenly asked, throwing her head over her shoulder.

Shite. How much had she heard? She could not have heard much; she was a couple feet away already.

"I was saying that the scones are to kill for" Hermione answered, plastering a polite smile onto her face.

"I believe that the expression you were looking for is to die for" Narcissa retorted before she turned around once more and took off.

Hermione was fuming when she closed her office door behind her, and even Nathan noticed her bad mood. She quickly recollected herself though, for her patient looked even worse than on Tuesday. She could see from his vacant expression that he had not gotten much sleep since they last saw each other; he must have spent most of his nights dreading what was yet to come. For the first time since the clinic had opened, Hermione prescribed one of her patients a potion. She had secretly hoped that this day would come in a much further future.

The idea of having Sleeping Draughts available for his every need seemed to calm Nathan down a little, and he was even able to talk about other things that his work for once. Hermione found out that he dreamt of becoming a Magizoologist when he first came to Hogwarts, and that he only chose to become an Auror because that had been his deceased brother's dreams. His brother had been in Hufflepuff, in Hermione's year, as she came to understand it. He had participated in the Battle of Hogwarts. And it had been his last battle.

All the energy she had recuperated over the past two days in her office was gone at lunch time already. To make it even worse, it started pouring once more when Hermione prepared to go out for a bite.

"Thank you for the notes. You can have those who kept your attention. I would like to hear from the one with lycanthropy though if you don't mind breaking medical secrecy." Anselma commented as Hermione walked past the breakroom.

"Thank you. I can do that. After all, I will know a little about your patients too if I take over while you're away." Hermione reasoned "I am going out for lunch. Wanna join me?"

"I am good, thank you. I still have a couple of owls to send before I see my next patient. You should take an umbrella."

"Will do!"

With a last handwave, Hermione was gone. She still hadn't decided where she would have lunch though. She usually went to the same Muggle bistro every time she was at the clinic, but she felt like having something else today. She was just browsing through the places she knew, when she noticed someone standing in front on the building, under the protection of the glass porch. It was Narcissa. Obviously. Hermione sighed and joined her. When the blonde didn't turn to her, she softly cleared her throat.

"Oh" Narcissa noted, quite disappointedly, as she finally spotted her.

"Afraid you might melt?" Hermione asked, surprised by her own bluntness.

"That is a very expensive dress" Narcissa argued, though still avoiding Hermione's gaze.

A million thoughts raced through Hermione's mind. She wanted to tell her how inappropriately she had dressed for such weather, she wanted to ask why she had not thought of bringing an umbrella, why she was not protecting herself with magic. But instead, she simply handed Narcissa her own umbrella.

"Take it. My clothes aren't worth much. I believe you noticed that earlier."

She wished she had not sounded that petty. But she could not help herself around this woman.

"How very chivalrous of you." Narcissa answered with a twisted smile.

"Isn't that what Gryffindors are all about?"

"That is indeed what I was alluding to."

"So, you do know who I am?"

Narcissa furrowed her brows are she finally accepted the umbrella and cautiously opened it.

"How would I not know?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly obvious from the way you acted around me." Hermione defended.

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her before she took one step forward, into the rain. After a moment, she turned around, an exasperated expression straining her traits.

"What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know. For the rain to stop?"

"Don't be silly. Join me. I will pay for lunch. If I have indeed made you feel disrespected, I owe you that at least."

Hermione could not help thinking about Anselma's pointers. Don't see them outside the clinic. Not for coffee, not for drinks, not for dinner; not ever. Anselma never said anything about lunch. Plus, Narcissa technically was not her patient.

Hermione took a deep breath, held her arms over her head, and ran over to the shelter of Narcissa's umbrella. She wanted change for lunch. Her wish had just been granted.

Chapters are getting longer ...

Hope you're still with me.

Love